Triggerfish plans to take on Disney

With Zambezia trotting off with a handful of awards and Triggerfish being described by Forbes as "Africa's answer to DreamWorks, Disney and Pixar", Forrest is certainly on the right path. He provided a refresher course yesterday, 23 May 2013, at the conference on "Business tips they taught you in kindergarten" that should still ring useful in fulfilling your adult-sized hopes and dreams.

• What do you want to be when you grow up: Fondly recalling childhood memories of playing with his father's stop-motion camera, Forrest had to go through working a "real job" before deciding to throw caution to the wind and follow his passion.
  
• Get up and try again: Reiterated by other speakers at the conference as well, failure first time round is more than likely. Shortly after Forrest first invested time and money in Triggerfish, the company ran aground, it was only in getting up again that Forrest found success.
  
• Be patient: This is where Triggerfish's 20-year goal of displacing Disney comes in - goals become so much more feasible if one sets a realistic timeline. Established in 1996, it took the studio 16 years to produce the highest grossing South African film in the last 30 years.
  
• Make friends and share: When Triggerfish nearly dissolved and Forrest's home became its HQ, portions of the company had to be given away, and the structure had to be realigned. Convincing investors to put money into a company with no capital and only one active employee is no easy feat, but Triggerfish was well-respected in the industry for its 10-year graft on Sesame Street, and managed to pull it off.
  
• Tidy your room everyday: Treating one's team well and rewarding their efforts is key in running a successful enterprise - especially so in the startup phase. While Triggerfish could hand-pick its talent, producing a feature-length animation film, Forrest was well-aware that appreciation goes a long way.
  
• Be polite. Be honest. Say sorry: It is important to be kind and courteous to the people you work with, but honesty is just as vital, according to Forrest. Staff and investors appreciate honesty rather than a sugar-coated version of events - it keeps everyone on the same page and provides a realistic outlook and drive. Sorry does seem to be the hardest word, but it shows humility, and can go a long way in strengthening business relationships.
  
• Ask an adult to help: With help coming in various forms, paid and unpaid, from people at Pixar, Aardman and Dreamworks, Forrest advices to always seek help when something is beyond your expertise.

The 1500 attendees hosted at the Artscape for Net Prophet were also privy to one of the first teaser screenings of Khumba, the latest production from the Cape Town-based Triggerfish studio. Currently being screened at the Cannes International Film Festival, the production is set to hit South African cinemas in October this year.

Tweet at Stuart Forrest @stuart_forrest. For more on Triggerfish Animation, go to Triggerfish.co.za. Visit www.netprophet.org.za for details on the annual conference. Donations to the Net Prophet Bursary fund can be made at donate.netprophet.org.za.